Edna Moss / 30 September 2016 / Categories: Brands

Sky

Believe In Better is the strap but how is that possible when new customers are more valued than existing customers?

After being a Sky broadband customer for three years, money has been very tight lately so a satellite TV package was an unaffordable luxury until now, I decided to take advantage of their incentive of a free Lenovo laptop when you sign up for a 12 month contract with Sky TV.

When I called to upgrade I discovered that this wonderful incentive is not for loyal valued existing customers like me but only for people who have never given Sky a scrap of business in the past.

When I expressed my dissatisfaction and told the sales person how this marketing policy made me feel, unappreciated and my business unvalued, she suggested I speak to the "Retentions Team" about this. I asked if I cancelled my service and rejoined would I be eligible for the offer, but usually to qualify for the offer she told me you have to have not been with Sky for 12 months. I waited on hold for 35 minutes to speak to the retention team but no one ever answered.

I called back customer service, explained what had happened and told them I wanted to sign up for the Q package.They did tell me we could sign up for SKY broadband & TV service in a new name at the same address (therefore new account) and qualify for the free laptop but the existing account would need to be cancelled first, leaving us without the internet for two weeks which was not an option.

I now have my cable TV scheduled for install with Sky but I would suggest they drop their catchy strap line "Believe In Better" because for me "Better" means customers coming to the brand because of the exceptional way you are treated as a customer not customers reluctantly giving you their business because they have no choice, the inconvenience in disruption of service being more troublesome than making a stand and changing provider completely.

When you have to bribe to get new business instead of nurturing the existing customer base and treating them so well your reputation precedes you, sorry but you don't believe in better, you believe in hooking people into contacts they cannot get out of and making your money regardless of the service you provide them, a business model over the long term which cannot be sustainable. You may het loads of new customers with these kind of free incentives but how many of your loyal customers are you alienating in the process.

Why not try giving something back to the people that keep your business going for a change, your customers because you may have me as a customer for now, but I am low hanging fruit ripe for the picking by a competitor not Raving about how much I love giving my business to Sky